Ole Miss Week 9 Opponent Preview: Texas A&M Aggies Defense

Our college football preview series continues this week with the Rebels' Week 9 matchup.

After getting beaten by the LSU Tigers 45-20 in Week 8, the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels will travel to College Station, Tex., to battle the Texas A&M Aggies in Week 9.

The Aggies are 3-4 through eight games and are 1-3 in conference play, good enough for last place in the SEC West. Texas A&M started the season ranked No. 6 but has not won a game since Week 4. The Rebels had trouble in Death Valley last Saturday, and even though the Aggies are down, Kyle Field is not an easy environment to play in either.

Ole Miss got the best of the Aggies in 2021, beating them 29-19 in Oxford, Miss., but Texas A&M has one of the best home-field advantages in the SEC, boasting a 6-1 home record in 2021. The Aggies were also able to topple No. 1 ranked Alabama at home last fall and nearly brought the Crimson Tide down again in Week 6.

Here is an overview of the Texas A&M defense that will see Ole Miss in Kyle Field on Saturday.

Defensive Players to Watch

Tackles: Antonio Johnson

2022 stats: 48 tackles, one TFL

Nickelback Antonio Johnson led the Aggies in tackles last fall with 79 total tackles and tallied an impressive 8.5 TFLs for a defensive back. Johnson is a chess piece on the defensive side of the ball for the Aggies. He can patrol the open field like a centerfielder and is willing to step up in the box like a linebacker if needed. Johnson will need to bulk up, but he possesses the tools and traits needed to become a talented player at the next level. 

Interceptions: Jardin Gilbert

2022 stats: two interceptions

Defensive back Jardin Gilbert is the only defender on the Texas A&M roster who has recorded an interception this fall. The sophomore has also notched three pass breakups through eight games.

Sacks: Fadil Diggs

2022 stats: three sacks, five TFLs

Defensive lineman Fadil Diggs leads the Aggies in sacks and forced fumbles with three each after only recording one sack from 2020-2021.

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You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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